


Go Home

by CaptainCorgi



Series: Zine Submissions [2]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Desert Elements, Dream Landscape, Established Relationship, M/M, Noodle Dragons
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-15
Updated: 2018-01-15
Packaged: 2019-03-05 01:38:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,260
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13377393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptainCorgi/pseuds/CaptainCorgi
Summary: “Jesse?”“Yeah?” His tongue clicked against the roof of his mouth. The cotton aftertaste of too much alcohol and smoke choked his throat and coated the backs of his teeth.“Are you with me?” Hanzo’s head turned, gazing towards the edge of the plateau where the horizon disappeared.“Yeah. I guess I am,” Jesse returned with a smirk.





	Go Home

**Author's Note:**

> The Second Piece I submitted to the McHanzo Zine: "To Ashes".
> 
> The title for the piece in the Zine is "Who Says You Can't Go Home" but I much prefer this title. Apologies if this is confusing in any way.

Wind raked its claws through the tangled mess of his beard, brushed across the overheated tanned skin of his chest exposed to the sun above. He lingered between states, closed lids clenched, mind wanting to wake yet his body craved five more minutes. The cool metal of his prosthetic chafed and scratched where the wind disturbed his skin. Warm and comfortable, the scent of incense curled under his nose.

He groaned, lazy eyes finally opening to the cloudless cornflower blue sky. The desert heat created the familiar wavering haze at the corners of his vision. His head pounded. His boot knocked against glass, causing the pair of well-used tumblers to clatter in protest.

A buzzing behind his eyes created an itch in the palm of his right hand. His fingers twitched, searching for the handle of Peacekeeper and yearning for the weight of the dauntless weapon resting against his calloused skin. The holster wasn't just empty, the custom leather piece was missing entirely. He forced his aching body up, the heel of his right hand grinding into his eye then down, fingers catching in the tumbleweed beard attached to his face.

“You're awake.” 

He blinked, peering through one eye at the mirth-filled expression on Hanzo’s face. Jesse's hand dug into his eye again, trying in vain to chase away the ache crawling beneath his skin.

“If ya can call it that,” Jesse groaned. He fell back, shoulders giving a heavy thump as they impacted the blanket. His flesh hand opened and closed, still feeling empty and itchy. “Where's my ha-?”

The Stetson smacked into his chest. Jesse snorted and shook his head, opening his eyes in time to catch the slight twitch of thin lips that danced just behind Hanzo’s well-trimmed beard. He slapped the hat onto his head, smashed his notoriously untamable mane in place, and rolled up to brace his arms over bent knees on a single, smooth motion. 

“Thank ya kindly.” He winked, tipped the edge of the hat, and waved his prosthetic in a mock salute. The metal tip of the finger was suddenly entrapped with the sizzle and crackle of electric-blue energy. The dragon slithered from its hiding place to settle on the extended arm like an indignant owl, head tilted, forked tongue snaking out with a hiss.

“Excuse you,” Jesse snapped and trapped the critter’s tongue between thumb and forefinger. He arched an unkempt brow in response to the blue dragon’s squirming. Tiny claws scratched at his bruised knuckles.

“You are excused,” Hanzo crouched beside him. Two heads turned - Jesse with a smirk and the dragon with a mouthful of metal finger. The sun blocked and haloed around the head of salt-and-pepper hair settled there.

“Smart ass,” Jesse shot back.

Hanzo only hummed in response, stood up, and scooped the dragon away with a flick of the wrist. “How is your head?”

“Feels full of pudding,” he yawned, lips smacking together and tongue sticking to the roof of his mouth. From under the blanket a second dragon peeked out and slithered over to perch on Jesse's shoulder. He watched Hanzo move away, pick up the empty tumblers, and store them. Sometime between waking and the wind died down and the heat drew sweat from his body.

Thunder roared across the clear sky, abruptly splitting the quiet. Jesse threw up his arms, ducking his head beneath them for cover. A fine tremble ran through his shoulders as he noticed that his flannel was gone and the sun, hued in a vivid burnt orange, was searing his exposed skin. The electric-blue dragon’s cool nose touched his forehead and claws tugged at his fingers as the creature let out a soft whimper that keened higher and higher into a scream. Jesse batted the critter away, watching the dragon's  lithe body bounce over the plateau to stop, milky eyes wounded, mouth open to howl at the heavens.

“What the hell?!” Jesse bellowed, his tone rough with the timbre of open challenge.

“A storm,” Hanzo now leaned against the straight trunk of the cherry blossom. The branches twisted across half the plateau, their gnarled limbs twirling and spreading out to dot shadows and shade over the sunbaked rocks.

“That doesn't explain why your ferret is screaming,” Jesse snapped. His right eye clenched tightly in pain;  his left felt on the verge of bursting. A warm liquid with the unmistakable scent of copper crawled down his cheek to seep into his beard. When he raised a finger to wipe at the liquid, it came away tacky and smeared in crimson.

“They are answering the storm. Challenging the thunder,” came the nonchalant reply. Hanzo paid him a sideways glance, gloved hand moving over the head of the second dragon. The creature’s eyes were half closed. The purr rumbling from the serpentine being shook the plateau itself.

Jesse stared at his fingertips, at the blood, and found himself oddly unconcerned at the idea of damage. He swiped again. His hand came back clean. The sticky sensation  of blood sliding down skin was gone in the space of a blink. His warm, brown gaze shifted focus to a place behind him with the rustle of fabric in the wind.

Under the beat of the sun Peacekeeper lay on her side upon a pillow of deep blue like the sea beneath the wings of their transport. Gleaming and reflecting the burnt orange from her spit polished surface. The dents of her hard life stared back yet held no malice - a hard life she had lived, but one with adventure. One Jesse could recall with clarity. Beside her rested the bow that, in the space of decade, became a constant companion.

Stormbow was beaten. Its top limb was broken into a jagged edge; the bottom limb was completely gone. The grip was cracked. The weapon looked a mere mockery of its former greatness.

“Jesse?” 

He blinked, startled from thought. Hanzo stood near the edge of the plateau. The shadows of the cherry blossom branches created a haphazard pattern across bare skin and the simple black pants he wore. Jesse felt a smile curl the tips of his lips as the pair of ethereal dragons perched on their master’s shoulders.

“Jesse?”   
  
“Yeah?” His tongue clicked against the roof of his mouth. The cotton aftertaste of too much alcohol and smoke choked his throat and coated the backs of his teeth.

“Are you with me?” Hanzo’s head turned, gazing towards the edge of the plateau where the horizon disappeared.

“Yeah. I guess I am,” Jesse returned with a smirk, flashing white teeth and chuckling when the dragons disappeared behind Hanzo's shoulder, melding into the decorated flesh of his tattoo. He forced himself to stand, and glanced down to find himself clad in similar attire - pants and nothing else. The wind swept across the rocks again to catch the ragged hairs of his chest. Serenity feel like a heavy flood over his shoulders, taking with them the screams that chased at the heels of his thoughts.

"Then come!" Hanzo smirked - barely noticeable, but that was his way - and Jesse scrambled to follow when the archer jumped over the edge. A flash of gold, a ribbon waving as a banner and proclamation of freedom, snapped in the space where Hanzo once stood, and Jesse stared down. The expanse of a deep sea spread wide around their plateau. The waves churned slow, lapped against Hanzo’s shoulders, and the man kicked away, beckoning Jesse with a smirk.

“Darlin’,” he crooned, knees bunched, sun streaking the sky with crimson above and leapt.

**Author's Note:**

> Wonderful accompanying art by Maz [Here](http://magicalzombieart.tumblr.com/post/169169921755/another-toashesfanzine-piece-this-time-done-as) & by ssaravinter [Here](http://ssaravinter.tumblr.com/post/169312049439/and-another-one-for-captainxcorgi-s-awesome-fic).


End file.
